


Once and For All

by PhantomDreamshade



Series: A Glimpse of Sun [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Reader Is Not Frisk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-08 12:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14105712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomDreamshade/pseuds/PhantomDreamshade
Summary: Chara has been defeated, and Frisk's soul returned. One last obstacle remains between the monsters and their freedom, however - the Council of Seven, a mysterious group of wizards responsible for keeping the barrier sealed and the monsters trapped Underground. But with the aid of the humans that fell into the Underground through the ages, a happy ending might just be within reach.





	1. Troubled

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third part of a series. If you haven't read Selfish Sacrifices or Unraveling Threads, I highly recommend you do so, or this won't make a lot of sense.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Undyne have a heart-to-heart.

Undyne excused herself from Asgore’s dining room - which had become an impromptu war chamber. She knew everyone else had only invited her to make her feel included, and she had better things to be doing.

Undyne didn’t mind - she knew the importance of a team and that every member had their own part to play. If someone needed to be roughed up a little, or if someone needed protecting, she knew that she’d be the first person they turned to. But strategy and planning wasn’t really her strong suit, so she decided to leave that to the smart people.

The royal guard captain felt her time would be better spent keeping an eye on a certain human - namely James. Out of all the humans Undyne and her friends had rescued from the past, James was the only one that hadn’t really wanted to help stop Chara. Sure, Courtney was a little dangerous, but Undyne didn’t feel like she was going to go firing her gun willy-nilly anymore - the girl really had turned over a new leaf. The same couldn’t be said for James.

Undyne found him in the spare room of her newly-reconstructed house, violently assaulting a punching bag she’d set up for him. Everyone had taken a human or two home for the time being, and Undyne had taken James; friends close, enemies closer, and all that jazz. He’d donned a sleeveless shirt, and the bandana around his head was soaked with sweat. He didn’t take his slanted eyes off of the punching bag as Undyne knocked on the door frame and entered the room.

“What do you want?” James asked, landing a particularly savage blow on the punching bag. His eyes flashed orange with magic for a brief moment.

“You and I need to have a serious talk,” Undyne said. “So stop hammering that thing for a few minutes and come out here.”

“Like you and I have anything to talk about, fish-brain,” James said. “You’re my jailor, not my mom.”

“Y’know, meathead, you wouldn’t be under house arrest if we could trust you not to go out and murder someone,” Undyne said. “And hell yeah I’m your jailor, which means you have to do what I say. So either stop hitting that thing and get out here or I’ll come in there and whoop your ass again.”

James gave the punching bag one last massive hit before angrily tearing off his makeshift fighting gloves - some of Toriel’s old leather gardening gloves with the fingertips cut off to accommodate her claws. He stomped into the kitchen and sat down at the table, crossing his arms. Undyne sat down across from him.

“You wanted to talk, so talk. I’ve got better things to do right now.” James refused to make eye contact with her.

“Like hell you do. I wanted to make sure that we can trust you going into this,” Undyne said. “That Council of Seven or whatever is serious business, and I don’t want anyone I care about getting hurt because you decided to play turncoat.”

“And what are you going to do if I don’t agree? Kill me? That only proves me right.”

Undyne took a deep breath; patience was not one of her strong suits. “I am going to avoid killing you as much as possible. So unless you do something  _ really _ stupid or  _ really, really _ piss me off, you don’t have to worry about your safety down here. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I don’t need your protection,” James spat at her.

“You’re right. Everyone else needs protection from you, you sociopath. Hence the house arrest.”

Undyne could practically see fumes coming out of James’ ears, who still wouldn’t make eye contact. “And just in case you need a little more convincing, let me remind you that you’re about thirty years in the future - that makes you what, fifty? From what Alphys told me about how long humans live, that means your parents are old and decrepit and all your friends probably have grown-up kids by now. So if you want to get back then, you need our help. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

“Pfft. What do I care about all those dumb people? Not like they ever did anything for me.” His tone had softened a little. That must’ve been a sore spot. “I bet the future has a bunch of cool stuff anyway. Maybe I’ll just stay here.”

“Family issues, huh?” Undyne asked. That must be where the massive chip on his shoulder came from.

“Yes, not that it’s any of your business.” James resumed his defensive posture.

“Y’know, family’s all you got sometimes. I’m sure they care about you, even if you don’t think they do right now.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” James said. “They hate me, and I hate them just as much. Why do you think I ended up down here? I ran away.”

Undyne felt her heart melt a little. Looks like she found this kid’s problem. “I bet they miss you.”

“They probably threw a fricking parade when I didn’t come home. Means they didn’t have to deal with their failure of a firstborn and give all their attention to his perfect little baby brother,” James scoffed.

“Sibling jealousy, huh? That’s some pretty nasty stuff. You’re probably exaggerating everything, you know.” Undyne wasn’t trying to belittle him; she just wanted him to really think about what he was saying.

“I don’t have anything against Mike. Nicest kid I ever met, never been anything but good to me. But he’s also the smartest kid I ever met, and I’m dumber than a box of rocks. That’s something my parents never cease to tell me. ‘These grades are disgusting, James. You’re such a disappointment, James. Why can’t you be more like your brother, James?’ Every  _ single _ day, that’s all I hear.” All the anger had drained out of his voice, replaced with pain. Undyne finally felt like she understood.

She stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. James finally looked at her. “So you have some crummy parents; there’s lots of people that have ‘em. If they don’t love you for who you are, then screw them! That’s their  _ job _ , and if they aren’t doing it, then they’re the failures, not you. 

And what about Mike? I’m  _ sure _ he missed you. If you can’t rely on your parents, lean on him a little - siblings are something special, punk. Have you met Sans and Papyrus? Those two are closer than anyone I ever met. If he likes you for who you are, spend your time impressing  _ him _ . Besides, a nerd and a warrior make a pretty awesome team,” Undyne said, elbowing James in the shoulder. He snorted.

She patted him on the back. “Help us do this. Prove to everyone up there that you’re awesome. And in thirty years or so? I’ll go find your parents and we can both give them an ass whooping.”

“Alright, alright, you win,” James said. “Enough feelsy crap though, I’m sick of it.”

“Ugh, me too. Let’s do something fun - come on, I’ll give you a cooking lesson!” Undyne dragged him up out of the chair and to the countertop.

“Cooking is your idea of fun?” James asked.

A sly grin appeared on Undyne’s face. “Oh, you’ve never cooked with  _ me _ before, punk.”

* * *

 

“Undyne, we can’t keep rebuilding your house if you burn it down every  _ month _ ,” Asgore sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

James and Undyne stood in front of him, covered head to toe in soot. “I can’t help it if I get excited! This kid’s got some serious passion!” Then the two chuckled like they were sharing some inside joke.

“I-I’ll work on s-some, uh, flame r-retardant wallpaper,” Alphys said, wiping down Undyne’s scales with a wet cloth.

“I dunno, fish flambé smells pretty good,” James smirked.

“Yeah, well burning human hair smells disgusting. Go take a shower, psycho.” Undyne smacked him on the back good-naturedly. James left as Alphys finished bandaging the burn on her arm.

“Thanks, baby,” Undyne said, deciding to take a shower herself. The bandage was waterproof, anyway.

“U-U-U-Uh, y-y-you’re w-welcome,” Alphys squeaked, turning bright red at the pet name. Oh, Undyne was definitely going to do more of that later. She had the cutest girlfriend in the entire Underground.

Asgore followed her as she walked toward the bathroom. “I hope our human friend wasn’t the cause of the destruction,” he asked.

“Nah, it was a joint effort. I think we can trust the punk - I’ll keep an eye on him just in case, but I think we’re cool for now.”

“That’s good to hear,” Asgore sighed in relief. “The humans will be leaving to meet the… other humans tomorrow morning. Frisk wants the monsters to stay back as long as possible to avoid triggering any conflict.”

Undyne nodded. Whatever way it went, this was going to be interesting.


	2. Frustration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and the human children meet with the Council of Seven.

“you ready, pal?” Sans asked, patting Frisk on the shoulder.

They nodded eagerly. It really shouldn’t have surprised Sans that they became an entirely different person once their soul was returned, but the change was still jarring. When he had met Frisk for the first time (this timeline, anyway), they were rather stoic - bordering on cold and uncaring. Now, they even rivaled Papyrus with their enthusiasm and zest for life. To be perfectly honest, it was almost too easy to read them now; when they were sad they sobbed, when they were happy they grinned ear to ear, when they were frustrated they turned beet red and sulked in the corner. Sans was almost a little envious that he couldn’t really feel the same depth of emotions as them.

He put the thought out of his mind. He didn’t want to focus on anything like that right now - especially what Chara had said to him in the judgement hall. He just shoved all of that baggage into a box and locked it away deep inside, because that _always_ seemed to work.

Sans watched Frisk leave and then left to go talk shop with Alphys. Distractions were also an integral part of his current ignore-all-his-problems plan.

* * *

 “Okay everyone,” Frisk said, putting on an optimistic smile. Everything was going to work out this time, they just knew it. “Just stay behind me and let me do the talking for now. I’ll get them to listen to us.”

Frisk walked out of the Underground, the fresh air and sunlight filling them with determination. It felt like it had been forever since they’d been up here. They turned a corner on the mountain path and walked toward the small alcove in the mountain they knew was there - except it was hidden with magic. The other human children watched them curiously as they knocked on the rock wall, and a door suddenly materialized. It swung open.

“Finally you return, Evan--” It was a man that answered the door, wearing an ornate red robe. “You’re not Evangeline. How did you find us?”

Frisk took a deep breath. “My name is Frisk Dreemurr, and I’m here to talk to you about the monsters of the Underground. May I come in?”

The man looked completely flustered, but let Frisk and the others in anyway. They found themselves in a well-furnished room with a number of other adults, each with their own brightly-colored robe.

Before anyone could say anything else, there was another knock at the door. The red-robed man opened it to reveal a woman in a gold robe. She started speaking immediately. “You were definitely right, Justinian, the barrier is completely - who the hell are these children?”

Frisk stuck out their hand. “I’m Frisk Dreemurr, ma’am. I’m here to negotiate a peace treaty between humans and monsters.” The woman just gave Frisk a blank look. “Perhaps we should all sit down?”

“...I don’t think so. What is this?” The woman asked.

“Like I said, it’s a negotiation. Do you think we could all introduce ourselves?”

The children all gave their names immediately, but the mages just stood there flabbergasted for a few moments. Eventually the red-robed one spoke. “My name is Kazimir. The woman in gold is Evangeline, the man in orange is Radomir, the lady in green is Melisende, the man in blue is Justinian, the man in indigo is Wymond, and the lady in purple is Regina.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you,” Frisk said. “I guess I’ll start things off, then. I want a guarantee that there won’t be any aggression from your organization against the monsters and that they will be able to leave Ebott and travel anywhere they please.”

It was the man in blue, Justinian, who answered. “Forgive me if I still have no idea what you’re trying to do here. Are you saying you’ve _met_ the monsters and you’ve come here on their behalf?”

“That is exactly what I’m saying,” Frisk said. “King Asgore would have come himself, but we were concerned about his safety. I’m sure we could arrange a meeting if you gave us that guarantee.”

“We’ll be doing no such thing,” Radomir said. “Clearly you’re either delusional or a liar. They’re called _monsters_ for a reason, child.”

“Have _you_ ever met a monster, Radomir?” Frisk asked.

“No. In fact, my job is keeping them locked underground where they belong. Speaking of which, how was the barrier compromised? Did you find anything, Evangeline?”

“Oh, that was partly us,” Frisk said dismissively. Radomir’s eyes widened as Frisk continued. “But if you’ve never met a monster before, how do you know that they deserve to be locked up?”

It was Kazimir that spoke up when Radomir failed to come up with a response. “We don’t have time for this. The barrier is open, and we have to deal with the monsters. Come on, everyone.”

Courtney blocked the door. “Now that just ain’t polite. We came here to say a few things and none of y’all are leavin’ until we’ve said ‘em.”

“Out of the way, girl,” Evangeline said. “You don’t know the forces you’re dealing with.”

“I don’t think so. Now I’ve been trying to be civil, but if you folks keep refusing to see reason I _am_ equipped for a fight.” She pulled out her pistol.

Evangeline smirked at her. “How cute. I don’t know if you’re aware, honey, but we’re _wizards_. You’re little pea-shooter isn’t going to help you.”

Courtney gave her own little smirk and fired a bolt at the floor in front of Evangeline’s feet as her eyes flashed yellow. The wizard stumbled backward, surprised. “I think I can manage. That was your warning shot, ma’am - next one ain’t gonna miss, I guarantee it.”

“You have magic,” Regina said.

“We all do, actually,” Andy said, stepping in to ease the tension. “But that’s beside the point. I’m sure we can all come to a peaceful agreement - you don’t need to worry about the monsters causing any trouble. They’re all going to wait underground while we negotiate.”

“Monsters don’t just sit back for _negotiations_ ,” Radomir said. “They’re probably out causing havoc while you naive little idiots stall us for them.” He shoved Andy out of the way roughly and made for the door.

Courtney shot him in the foot, making him shout in pain. “I gave y’all a warning. That’s on you.” Seething, Radomir took a battle stance and both his eyes and fists flared orange. He threw a punch straight at Courtney’s chest.

Landon intercepted the strike, skin pulsing purple as his magic attempted to soak up the damage. Andy ran up to him to heal the damage, and Radomir struck again. There was a snapping sound, and Andy fell to the ground. His neck was broken.

Frisk loaded their save.

* * *

 “you ready, pal?” Sans asked, patting Frisk on the shoulder.

Frisk pushed his hand away and stormed off back into Asgore’s castle.

“What the hell?” Undyne said. “They _just_ said it was time to leave! Why are they storming off?”

“i think something went wrong up there,” Sans said, fighting back a wave of nausea as a feeling of déjà vu overtook him. Wonderful. “i’ll go talk to them. hey kid, wait up!”

Sans took a shortcut to catch up to them and grabbed their shoulder. “hold on, buddy! c’mon, talk to me.”

“I’m just frustrated,” Frisk said, brushing them off again. “I can’t do this right now.”

“c’mon, buddy,” Sans said, pulling them down to sit next to him on the floor. “where’s all that new optimism you’ve been sporting? you’ll figure this out.”

“It was all an _act_ , Sans,” Frisk said, halfway between furious and on the verge of tears. “Ever since I got my soul back, I’ve felt nothing but absolutely terrible.”

“that’s the guilt talking,” Sans said. “that’s a good thing. means you really are sorry for what you’ve done.”

“it’s not only that,” Frisk sighed. “I just feel so hopeless. That’s the one feeling I didn’t miss.”

Sans felt a pang of pity for them, despite everything. “you know that i’m pretty well-versed in hopeless and putting on a show. you’re different though, frisk - they can’t stop you. literally.” _No one else can either_ , Sans almost added. She shoved the thought away.

“Yet here we are.”

Sans sighed. “alright. tell me what you’ve been trying.” Sans had a feeling he’d already had this conversation with Frisk numerous times in the past, but he couldn’t think of anything better to do.

“I’ve tried fourteen times already,” Frisk said. “I’ve changed my wording, the time I approached, what I told the other human children, I even brought Asgore once. Bad idea.”

“you changed _your_ wording. what have the other kids been doing?”

“They’re just there for backup,” Frisk said.

“maybe that’s the issue. they all have magic too, buddy - and it’s not all just for fighting. they’re the new thing this timeline, the variable you changed. _use_ them.” Frisk thought about it for a moment and nodded. “and kid… i know this is kinda morbid, but… you can try this as many times as you have to. if you need to sacrifice someone to get some information, make us wait a little bit for a load - that’s a call you’ve got the power to make. you’re like our general right now, frisk, and a general has to make tough decisions sometimes. except, yours don’t have to be permanent. go on the offensive here. as long as you’re not intentionally doing harm - we’ll all learn to live with it. ‘kay?”

Frisk nodded, determination returning. “Alright. Thank you. If you’ll excuse me… I have some preparations to make.”


	3. * Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finds a way to challenge the Council, with the aid of the other humans.

“Okay, Charlotte. Are you ready?” Frisk asked as they prepared to knock on the sanctuary door once again.

“I think so,” she said, standing a little taller as the door opened and she found herself in a room of flabbergasted wizards. Landon stepped forward and began talking to them while Charlotte stood in the back next to Frisk. She turned her attention to the red-robed wizard in the middle, and her eyes flashed bright blue.

* Check

* Kazimir - HP 85/85 Atk 95 Def 105 Inv 3 Spd 4

* LV 6

* Youngest of three brothers in a long family line that has filled Determination’s seat in the council since the barrier’s creation. Has always struggled with red magic and was the last choice for the position, but was forced into the role when his brothers died in a tragic accident, and thus has a massive inferiority complex.

Said complex is exacerbated by his teammates’ lack of faith in his abilities, especially considering he is the leader of the council. This divide can potentially be exploited.

Because he cannot Save and Load properly, Kazimir uses his red magic to speed up or slow down time in order to gain an upper hand in combat. Like all red mages, his attacks cannot be dodged by normal means, so offense is a key strategy - attacks that cover wide ranges or are highly unpredictable are advised.

“Hey, stop that!” Radomir said, pushing past Landon to get to Charlotte as she started whispering the information she’d discovered to Frisk as quickly as she could. The orange wizard grabbed her off of the ground by her hair and--

_ Load. _

“Go for the orange one this time, Charlotte. Alright?”

* * *

 

“W-Wow, this is, um… a lot of good information,” Alphys said as she finished looking over everything Frisk had written down. “We can d-definitely help improve your chances in combat with this. U-Unfortunately, though, um… their stats are all much b-better than yours, for the most part. I-I’m not sure if you’re really going to be able to beat them in a fair fight, e-even with all of this.”

Frisk nodded as they looked over the papers. “My goal was to avoid that, if possible. Charlotte mentioned something about Justinian being some kind of bookkeeper for the council, right? Maybe we can find some documents in his study that will help us.”

“That’s n-not a bad idea,” Alphys said. “B-But, how will you get in there without anyone noticing?”

“A distraction.”

* * *

 

“Okay, Olivia. You’re the lightest on your feet out of everyone here, so it’s your job to sneak into the study once Undyne draws their attention. Just… grab anything that looks important and get out.”

Olivia nodded as she finished changing out of her ballerina outfit and into some darker clothes as to be less conspicuous. A short walk later, and she was walking into a mysterious sanctum that materialized out of the side of the mountain. The door to the study was on the back right wall, just like Frisk said it would be - and the blue wizard had left the keys on the coffee table. He must have been as scatterbrained as Frisk had said, too.

There were tons of books and papers in the room - but the giant, thick tome on a pedestal in the back of the room definitely stood out to her. She grabbed it and ran.

“Does this look useful?” she whispered as she exited the building, handing the book to Frisk.

“Definitely.” They opened it up; it was in a foreign language.

“Allow me,” Landon said, stepping forward. “It appears to be in some form of Latin. I can’t exactly say I’m fluent, but I may be able to come up with a rough translation.”

“Good,” Frisk said. “The monsters are going to stall the council for us while we figure out what to do. Let’s get back to Alphys.”

* * *

 

A number of loads later, Frisk had memorized a brief summary of the book. It was more or less the set of “laws” that governed the council - and after asking Landon for more precise translations of certain sections of the book in a few different timelines, they had found a loophole. They were currently practicing the exact wording they had to use.

“sup, buddy?” Sans asked, walking in the room. For him, it had been a few short minutes since their little soul-to-heart, and Frisk was in a particularly determined mood. “things, uh… goin’ well?”

“Very,” Frisk said. “I think I’m finally making some progress. I mean, I have no clue what these trials entail, but I’m sure I’ll be able to figure them out with a few tries. Oh, and I want you all to come with me this time - each participant gets a sponsor and we could use all the help we can get. Just, uh, wait outside of the door until I talk to them.”

Sans had no clue what they were talking about, but it sounded promising. “sure thing, buddy. just curious, but… how many times have you loaded since our chat?”

“Ninety-four,” Frisk said, not missing a beat.

Sans eye-sockets widened. “damn, kid,” he said. “you don’t sound all that frustrated.”

“I’m not anymore,” Frisk told him. “I realized my problem was trying to tackle the entire thing at once. Chipping away at the Council between loads works  _ so _ much better.”

Sans’ grin fell a little. He was worried he might have helped create a whole new problem. “that’s… good to hear.”

Frisk looked at him. “Is something wrong?”

Sans didn’t like how easily they were able to read him. “nah, i’m fine, pal. you just worry about… whatever it is you’re doing.” He wasn’t going to screw up the slim chance he had at getting everyone a permanent happy ending with his own pessimism, even if it had been becoming more and more persistent lately.

“If you say so,” Frisk said. “I think I’m ready. Let’s get everyone ready to move out.”

* * *

 

“Just repeat my exact wording, but with the names I gave you,” Frisk told the other humans as they knocked on the door for the ninety-fifth time. Kazimir opened the door once again. “Kazimir of the Council of Seven, I hereby challenge you to a test of Determination for your seat on the council, effective immediately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this and the next chapter are short - hence why I posted them together. I didn't want a long, drawn out process before we got to the trials, 'cause that's where the real fun starts, so I kinda summarized how everyone got to that point.


	4. Pick Your Partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone prepares for the trials.

“This is insanity!” Radomir shouted. The seven wizards were alone with Frisk in the sanctum, negotiating. “These are  _ kids _ . We’re not actually going to take this seriously while there are monsters on the loose, are we?”

“Our hands are tied, Rad,” Justinian said. “We’re  _ required _ to resolve the challenges before taking any action at all, even against the monsters. We’re not even technically on the council anymore - we’re only candidates for it now.”

Radomir slammed his fist on the table, frustrated. “Well we better get it over with, quickly. How the hell do these trials even work, anyway? There hasn’t been a challenge in the council since my great-great-grandma took over Bravery’s seat and passed it down our family line.”

“The trials are specifically kept secret so that neither party has an advantage, so your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that the trial chambers are beneath the sanctum, and only one set of candidates may enter at one time.”

“And what was this about a sponsor?” Melisende (the wizard in green) asked, pointing to a section in the tome they were all reviewing.

“Each participant may bring up to one sponsor with them into the trial,” Justinian said. “They cannot actively participate, but can offer encouragement, support, or advice. Said sponsor must also be capable of using the form of magic associated with the trial.”

“And what if only one party has an available sponsor?” Melisende asked. “Does neither group get to bring one?”

“No,” Justinian answered. “The sponsor is optional, so if one party cannot acquire one, the other party may still bring theirs.”

“That’s not fair,” Melisende asked. “So few humans have magic left. None of us have a ‘sponsor’ on hand, and yet all of the children claim they do.”

“I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Regina piped in. “They’re  _ children _ . Their sponsors won’t make that big of a difference. We’ll beat all of them easily. Even if one of us loses by some fluke, they’d need at least five votes to keep us from retaliating against the monsters. This is just a hiccup.”

“Speaking of which,” Radomir said. “We need to get this started. Go set up the chambers, Justinian. I’ll escort our ‘guests’ and their sponsors to the waiting area. Who’s going first?”

“I’d like to volunteer,” Regina said. “I want to teach that snobby little boy a lesson.”

* * *

 

“Absolutely not,” Radomir said. His eyes flared orange as he prepared to attack.

“You can’t act against the monsters until the trials are completed,” Frisk said, stepping between him and Asgore.

“I can in self defense,” Radomir said, shoving Frisk aside. They ran in front of him again.

“Asgore hasn’t attacked you, or anyone else. He hasn’t even threatened you. So no, that’s not self-defense. I would know.”

Radomir gave Frisk a glare of pure hostility, but backed off anyway - after spitting in Asgore’s face. The monster king merely wiped it off his beard with his paw and stepped inside, followed by the other monsters. The room was quite crowded now.

Justinian returned from the stairwell, freezing in place when he saw the crowd of monsters. “Those can’t be your sponsors,” he said slowly.

“They are,” Frisk said.

Justinian blinked. “Your sponsor needs to be a  _ person _ ,” he said.

“Monsters  _ are _ people,” Frisk countered. “And even if you refuse to acknowledge that fact, them coming with us into the trial isn’t prohibited. Because if they’re not  _ people, _ they’re  _ things, _ right? And there’s nothing against us bringing any _thing_ into the trials with us.”

Radomir looked at Justinian with his jaw clenched. “Don’t tell me they can actually use that as a loophole?”

Justinian glared at Frisk defiantly. “Unfortunately, they can.”

Frisk wouldn’t have been surprised if actual steam started to pour out of Radomir’s ears as he stormed down the stairwell.

It was a spiral staircase, made of cobblestone - the path was lit with torches and it was very, very old. They arrived in a large, circular chamber underground with two large stone doors in the back wall. There was a column of colored stones between them, and the purple one was currently glowing.

“Landon was your name, right?” It was Regina who spoke. “I hope you’re ready. We start in ten minutes.”

Frisk gathered everyone around. “So Landon’s going first then,” they said. “Can any of the you guys use purple magic?” They all turned to the monsters, who shook their heads. “Well… we can’t send him in without a sponsor. Sans, do you think you could convince Muffet to come with us? I know for a fact that she has purple magic.”

“sure thing. i’ll be back in a few.” Sans disappeared from view.

“While he does that, we should work out everyone else’s sponsors. I think Undyne is the only one that has any kind of determination, so she’ll have to come with me,” Frisk said.

“Alright!” Undyne patted Frisk on the back, nearly knocking them over. “We’re gonna steamroll that little red punk.”

“Well, I am the only other monster here with green magic,” Toriel said. “So I suppose I will be going with Andy.” The two smiled at each other.

“I-I don’t think anyone else here has y-yellow magic, so… m-me and Courtney?” Alphys and Courtney also exchanged a look, but it wasn’t quite as cheerful.

“So that leaves Asgore, Sans, and Papyrus with Olivia, Charlotte, and James,” Frisk said.

“I don’t believe that either you or your brother can use orange magic - right Papyrus?” Asgore asked. Papyrus nodded. “Then I suppose I am with James.”

“THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GO WITH OLIVIA! WE ARE SUCH GREAT FRIENDS, AFTER ALL!” Olivia giggled as Papyrus hopped over to her excitedly.

“That leaves you with Sans when he gets back, Charlotte,” Frisk said. Charlotte nodded. “I guess that’s all settled. Now we just have to wait…”

Sans rematerialized with the spider-monster in tow. He looked like he was sweating slightly - not that Frisk could blame him. Muffet could be… overbearing at times.

“Why hello, dearies~” Muffet said, strutting over to Landon. He started sweating, too. “You must be the cutie Sansy here told me about, ahuhuhu… I think we’ll work wonderfully together.”

“You’d better hope so,” Regina said, walking up to the group. “It’s time to start.”


	5. Let the Games Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Landon attempts his trial.

“After you, dearie~” Muffit giggled as Landon stepped up to the left door and Regina to the right. The spider-monster stood behind him as the door slid open, and the three participants entered the trial chamber.

Landon immediately began analyzing the situation. The doors must have been magical - the doors Landon and Regina had entered through were only a foot or two apart, but now they were on opposite sides of a fifty-foot chamber with a giant chasm in the middle. A thin purple strand stretched across across it, connecting the two sides. On each side was a pedestal - with a heart made of purple crystal. Above the very center of the tightrope was a floating disk with a hole the same shape as the heart.

“Well then,” Regina shouted from across the pit. She pulled off the heels she was wearing and began to tie her dark, wavy hair behind her head. “I think it’s clear what we must do. First person to place their heart in the disk wins.”

Landon nodded to himself and put his hands on the crystal. He immediately felt sick - it was pumping out some sort of nauseating energy. Assuming it was part of the test, Landon activated his purple magic - it acted like a shield, dampening the crystal’s effects. He picked the heart up - it was abnormally heavy, as if it were made of solid stone instead of hollow crystal.

Regina was already on the tightrope, so Landon picked up his pace and began walking himself. The rope was so taut that it didn’t give at all when he stepped on it - it was more like a razor-thin balance beam than a tightrope. He looked down, even though he knew it was a bad idea; all that was beneath him was a lavender-colored mist. He forced himself to look forward and focus on the task at hand.

“Not afraid of heights, I hope?” Regina called from across the way.

“I already fell into the Underground. This doesn’t faze me,” Landon called back.

Muffet giggled from behind him, and he nearly toppled over the side. Why did he have to get paired with the creepy spider woman? “Tell me what you need me to do, dearie. I’m here to support you, after all~”

Landon wondered if there was actually anything she could do. He realized that he was starting to sweat profusely - when had it become so hot in here? There was heat welling up from the pit, he realized - another test of endurance. He focused on keeping the temperature out with his purple magic, but between the heat, the nauseating power of the crystal, and keeping himself from getting fatigued, his power was wearing thin. At least Regina seemed to be struggling as well.

“Do you have anything cold to drink?” Landon asked. His throat felt raspy, and he might as well make use of his sponsor.

“Of course, dearie! I always have some iced spider cider on hand.”

Landon decided not to ask what spider cider was as Muffet walked out onto the tightrope effortlessly and put a teacup in front of his mouth for him to drink. “Enjoy~”

He drank the cup down - it had a very strange flavor, and most of it wasn’t apple - and it did actually seem to help a little. He supposed that monster food converting directly into energy had its perks. Muffet cleared her throat from behind him.

“You don’t honestly expect me to pay you, do you?” he asked incredulously.

“Oh, of course not, sweetie! Sans has already promised to compensate me for my time. Not that tips wouldn’t be appreciated, though. They would be very,  _ very _ appreciated.”

There was something vaguely threatening about her tone, but Landon ignored it. He didn’t have time for whatever game she was playing. In fact - Regina was almost at the finish. Landon tried to pick up the pace, but he found his magic was almost spent. He stopped trying to block out the heat - he could handle that.

It felt like an oven in this room, but he needed to go faster. He gave up on trying to protect himself from the crystal’s nausea, focusing everything he had on keeping his muscles from fatiguing - the crystal seemed to be getting heavier as he walked.

“Dearie,” Muffet said, sounding slightly nervous. “You need to go faster. She’s almost finished.”

“I’m… trying…” Landon said. His head was spinning, and he felt like he was going to vomit. He needed to…

His magic gave out and he slipped, barely catching himself with his hands as the crystal tumbled into the pit beneath him. Regina placed her heart in the disk, and the entire room flashed purple.

Landon, Muffet, and Regina found themselves back in the main chamber, Regina glowing a faint shade of purple. She smiled and let her hair loose before grabbing her heels and putting them back on. 

“Guess someone was all talk and no walk,” she said smugly, crouching down to look Landon in the face. He was on the ground, panting to recover his breath. “Now go run along, brat.”

“What happened in there?” Undyne asked him. “Why’d you lose?”

“It’s fine, Undyne,” Frisk said. They didn’t seem the least bit concerned. “I’ll just…” They looked confused.

“what’s wrong?” Sans asked.

“I--”

“Having trouble loading?” Kazimir asked, sounding pleased with himself.

“What?” Frisk’s eyes widened.

“I figured you were using determination to find loopholes in the Council. Clever. Unfortunately, this little chamber prevents any time-tampering - it’s only fair, after all.”

Frisk looked like they were on the verge of panic, and Sans pulled them aside. “hey, it’s okay, buddy. it’s fine, just breathe.”

“It is  _ not _ fine,” they whispered harshly. “We can’t - I don’t - I can’t--”

“what? just ‘cause you don’t get do-overs, you’re throwing in the towel?” Sans was just a little pissed off. That was a little ungrateful for his tastes. “hate to break it to ya, but that’s how all the rest of us have to live most of the time. you’re gonna have to deal with it.”

“We already screwed everything up!” they said. “The council will  _ kill you _ if this doesn’t work, Sans. And now that they know, they’ll keep me down here so I can’t undo it!”

Sans sighed. “first things first - they can’t keep you down here if you get a seat on the council. if you’re really so desperate to load, then don’t botch your test and you’ll be fine. second, you only need five seats to stop them from killing us. this is strike one, not strike three.”

“ _ I’m not good enough _ to get it on the first try,” Frisk said. “I’ve almost never beaten anyone on the first try, let alone a powerful wizard. I have to be able to learn what the test is and practice a few times, or--”

“just - stop. humility’s one thing, but your time powers aren’t what make you powerful. it’s your  _ determination _ . how’d alphys definie it - the will to keep living, the resolve to change fate or something like that? you’re better than this.” Sans planted his hands on Frisk’s shoulders so he could look Frisk straight in the eyes. He realized he was looking  _ up _ at them a little - had they always been this tall? He blinked the thought out of his mind for now. “so buck up. you aren’t gonna let us down. ‘kay?”

Frisk took a deep breath to calm themself. “...Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry.” They immediately thought of Asriel, and the first time the barrier had been broken. It was the first time Frisk had realized just how much they cared about their little monster family. Asriel was trying to send them back to square one again, to erase all of the good memories, to erase everything Frisk had finally done right. They had beat Asriel in one go - because they refused to let that happen.

It was ironic just how poorly that situation turned out in the end. Papyrus had been killed by the council before anyone even got to him. But this time, Frisk knew what the problem was. They’d gotten the information they needed. They believed in their friends - admittedly, Muffet might not have been the most helpful choice of sponsor, even though they still had no idea what she actually did inside the trial chamber. This was their chance for a happy ending, once and for all.

And they were determined to have it. Eveyone had waited long enough.

“Get the determination trial ready,” Frisk said, walking up to Kazimir. “I don’t have to load to beat you anymore. And I’m not letting you steal another happy ending from my family.”

A couple of the wizards snorted at that comment, but Kazimir merely shrugged and headed over to the trial doors. Even if Frisk couldn’t load in this room - they weren’t going to fail.


	6. Types of Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk begins their trial.

Frisk’s heart began to pound out of their chest. This was it - no second chances. It was a safety net they’d come to rely on so thoroughly through the… weeks? Months? Years? They didn’t know how long they’d been at this game, but it didn’t matter. They owed the monsters a happy ending, and if they only had one shot left, they were going to make it count. Even if they felt naked and powerless without their ability to load. Even if the little voice in the back of their head saying that it was impossible was becoming more and more insistent.

Who were they kidding? There was only one time that they had been more terrified than they were now, and that was when they faced Chara at the end of their genocide run. Even Chara had allowed them a second chance, and that was one chance more than the Council was going to allow them. They needed something on their side,  _ anything _ .

And then they looked to their side to find Undyne standing there. She was their safety net, they realized. She was here with them, despite everything they’d done. Each member of their little monster family had given them something, was an inspiration in some way - and if Undyne wasn’t a source of strength, Frisk didn’t know what was. Undyne wouldn’t let them fail - and Frisk wouldn’t let themself fail, either.

The room was plain - a giant circle. Kazimir was barely visible on the other side. There was a large disk floating in the center of the room with a heart-shaped hole; on each side of the room was a pedestal with a crystalline heart that looked like it was made of ruby. It was fairly obvious what they were supposed to do.

Frisk immediately dashed for the crystal, Undyne keeping pace beside them. As soon as they touched the crystal, however, they dropped it back onto its resting place in shock - a searing pain rushed through their entire body. It felt like they were melting - no,  _ evaporating _ . They’d experienced death by burning numerous times before, but this was something else entirely. It was so, so much worse.

“Hey, what happened?” Undyne asked, putting a hand on their back. “C’mon, you gotta get going!”

“...It hurts…” was all they managed to say while they tried to catch their breath. Undyne took a quick glance at Kazimir before squatting down to look Frisk in the eyes.

“Hey. Look at me.” Frisk did so, and Undyne realized tears were dripping down their face. That crystal must have hurt like  _ hell _ . Undyne would gladly have carried it for them, but this wasn’t her trial. “You handled everything an entire  _ race _ of people threw at you. Don’t let some shiny rock beat you now. You’ve  _ got this _ \- and then you’ll never have to be in pain again. I’ll make sure of it.”

Frisk clenched their jaw and grabbed ahold of the crystal with both hands. They screamed out immediately, and Undyne couldn’t help but tense up a little bit. She wondered if it would be cheating if she picked Frisk up and ran them to the disk-thing as quickly as possible.

She didn’t need to, though - still screaming at the top of their lungs, they forced themself to take a step forward - then another, then another. Soon, they were in a half jog to the disk, which became an all-out sprint. They blocked out the pain with their own scream and their determination. They  _ refused _ to lose now, not when they’d come so far.

And, just like that, Frisk rammed straight into the disk and the crystal found its place inside. Kazimir was barely halfway there. Undyne, having kept up with them the entire time, picked Frisk up in her arms as the room flashed red.

“Hey, Frisk. You did it!” She said. Then everyone gathered around them to give them a cheer.

The council merely stood there, flabbergasted. No one moved to help Kazimir off of the ground. Regina spoke after a few seconds. “Owen. The… title of Kazimir no longer belongs to you. I… have to ask you to leave.” Kazimir - or Owen, as his real name appeared to be - staggered to his feet and slowly left the room without a word, completely shellshocked. The Council looked at Frisk, whom Undyne had set back on the ground.

“Welcome to the Council, Kazimir,” Regina said slowly. “But don’t think you’ve won yet. We can suspend a member if we believe they are unfit for duty. So you  _ aren’t _ just going to reset after these trials are over.”

Frisk glared at her defiantly. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“I’ll go next,” Wymond said, trying to break the tension. His dark blue robes swirled around him as he walked over to the trial chambers.

“OH! THAT MEANS IT’S OUR TURN, OLIVIA!” Papyrus said, taking her by the hand and walking over to the doors. They found a similar setup to the one Frisk had experienced, but this time it wasn’t a flat field between them and the goal; it was a shifting set of platforms of various sizes, constantly rearranging themselves.

Olivia picked up the sapphire heart - it didn’t seem to have any special effect on her - and walked with Papyrus to where the platforms began. She didn’t know how she was going to cross it.

“HMM,” Papyrus said, thinking out loud. “WELL, THIS PUZZLE DOESN’T SEEM VERY FAIR AT ALL! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FIND A PATH ACROSS IF THE PATH KEEPS CHANGING?”

Olivia looked over at Wymond - he was grabbing platforms and fitting them together like jigsaw pieces, slowly making a stable path across. But Olivia’s platforms weren’t shaped like that - they were all circles and squares. Was the test rigged?

She thought for a moment - this was supposed to test her integrity. That meant she needed to be herself, right? She looked down at her tutu and realized what she had to do.

“Papyrus, do you know any ballet?” She asked quickly, realizing she had to start now if she was going to beat Wymod.

“UM… WELL, NO, BUT… I AM A VERY FAST LEARNER! WHY DO YOU ASK?”

“I’m going to dance across,” Olivia says. “It’s what I do best. Can you help me if I tell you what to do?”

“OH! OF COURSE I CAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL BE EXCELLENT AT BALLET, I’M SURE!” Olivia chuckled - she knew from personal experience that ballet wasn’t something you could pick up overnight - but she’d been practicing a duet routine with a boy in her class and she felt like she was strongest with a partner.

“Okay. Just do what I say,” she said, taking a literal leap of faith out over the chasm. She landed perfectly on one of the platforms and pointed to one for Papyrus to jump to. He wasn’t nearly as graceful, but he did the job.

The dance gradually became more natural as they began to gain ground on Wymond. Pirouette, leap, lift, arabesque - soon, Olivia had fallen into a rhythm almost so perfect that she almost forgot what she was doing. Papyrus was a little clumsy, but he was actually surprisingly good at this. She wouldn’t be surprised if Papyrus had tried out some of Mettaton’s dance moves in secret every once in a while.

Before she knew it, the crystal heart clicked into place, just inches away from Wymond. “We… we did it!” she cheered, jumping over to Papyrus and giving him a hug as they were brought back to the main chamber. Papyrus picked her up and twirled her around in the air, giggling the entire time.

“OF COURSE WE DID! WE MAKE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM! AND THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!”

“That’s… that’s not possible,” Wymond said. “You can’t… how did you…”

“Alright, it’s my turn,” James said, stepping forward as the council tried to figure out how to deal with another loss. “I’m sick of waiting around. You and me hothead, let’s go.” Radomir marched up and leaned in a few inches from James’ face.

“I’m gonna kick your ass, kid,” he growled, heading to the trial room.

The bravery trial was similar to the determination one, except the floor was covered in spikes and fire and various other hazards. James immediately rushed in headfirst after grabbing the crystal, Asgore close behind him.

“What do you need me to do?” Asgore asked, narrowly dodging an axeblade above his head. 

James looked over to Radomir - they were just about evenly matched. “When I say so, shove me square in the shoulders.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. I’ll need a push.”

After earning a large number of superficial scratches, burns, and bruises, James gave the command. Asgore shoved him square in the shoulders just like James had asked, and he used the momentum to launch the crystal through the air and into the slot less than a second before Radomir reached it.

Frisk’s smile almost became cocky when James returned. Almost. “That’s three out of five,” Frisk smiled. “Still think we’re not a threat?”


	7. Falling Short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trials continue.

“I reckon it’s about my turn,” Courtney said. “You ready, doc?”

“U-Um. I guess?” Alphys said.

“C’mon, I need a little more reassurance than that,” Courtney frowned.

“Y-Yes, I-I’m ready,” Alphys tried again.

“That’s better,” Courtney sighed, stepping into the chamber. It was filled with two sets of pillars, with a chasm in between. Each column was topped by a yellow crystal heart - the one in the middle was guarded by some form of energy shield.

“How in sam hill am I ‘sposed to get that thing?” Courtney asked. She squinted her eyes a little - something felt… off.

“What is it?” Alphys asked, looking at her.

“Some of the crystals feel… bad, somehow,” she said.

Alphys looked at her eyes and gasped a little as it clicked in her head. “O-Oh, your KR is reacting to them! You must h-have to remove them before you can get the real crystal.” Alphys looked across the field to see that Evangeline had already begun to climb one of the pillars. “Which o-ones are bad?” She asked quickly.

“Those four,” Courtney said, pointing.

“G-Go for that one first,” Alphys said. “That’ll b-be the fastest route. Hurry!”

One by one Courtney shimmied up the pillars and knocked the crystals off, making them shatter into clouds of yellow smoke. The route Alphys had given her was faster than the one Evangeline had chosen - as soon as the fourth crystal fell, the forcefield disappeared and Courtney climbed to reach her goal.

Courtney rested a hand on her hip as soon as she reappeared in the main chamber. Evangeline looked furious. “That’s four outta five. Thanks for the advice, doc,” she said.

Sans walked with Charlotte to the trial chamber next. “ready, kiddo?” She smiled and nodded.

Charlotte found herself in front of a giant wall of interlocking tiles. One tile had a pale blue crystal heart embedded in it, and the tile in the center of the wall was missing. It was a slide puzzle. Sans chuckled.

“relax, buddy, i got you covered on this one. i was a whiz at these things as a kid.” Sans lifted her up with his blue magic so she didn’t have to bother with the rolling ladder sitting off to the side. “okay, just slide that piece this way… and that one like that, there you go…”

It was several minutes into the puzzle when Sans realized something had gone very wrong. “how... that piece was over there a few seconds ago, i swear. what’s going on?”

Charlotte looked over the board from her position in the air. “It’s changing by itself,” she realized aloud.

“shoot,” Sans said, cursing at himself mentally. He was trying to rush Charlotte through a puzzle that was meant to test her patience. There had to be some way to predict the changes if he looked hard enough, or…

Sans and Charlotte found themselves back in the main chamber, Justinian sighing in relief. Charlotte’s eyes widened when she realized she had failed. Sans put his hands on her shoulders from behind. “damn, i’m… i’m sorry, kid. i really screwed that one up.”

“It is alright, Sans,” Toriel said, walking to the trial room. “Andy and I will acquire the final seat. It will be fine.”

Andy and Melisende found themselves on the same side of the trial room - a single green crystal heart sat on a pedestal between them, and its resting place sat across a chasm with a thin walkway across.

“Um… together, then?” Andy asked, gesturing to the crystal. This was a trial of kindness, after all - they probably had to work together. Melisende nodded and took a hold of the crystal at the same time as Andy; indeed, it seemed too heavy for one person to pick up alone. They began to make their way across, with Toriel in tow.

“May I ask what possessed you to pull this stunt?” Melisende asked as they made their way across slowly.

“The monsters deserve to live on the surface, just like you and me,” Andy said. “I’m here to make sure that they’re treated fairly. That’s all.”

Melisende sighed. “Dear… have you ever considered the possibility that you’ve been manipulated or hexed in some way? The monsters were sealed away for a reason.”

“They were sealed away because people fear what they don’t understand,” Andy said firmly. “Have  _ you _ ever considered that you could be wrong about them? That maybe they are what we say they are?”

Melisende gave him a sympathetic smile. “I understand your point of view. But I’m afraid the risk of you being wrong is just too great. So many lives are at stake here.”

Andy nodded. “You’re right. It’s okay to be cautious and try to protect people. But… committing  _ genocide _ without a second look at the situation is  _ wrong _ . Besides, monsters aren’t the only ones that are dangerous. Think of all the terrible things humans do to each other all the time - if we as a whole deserve to live in peace despite all that, don’t the monsters as well? Even if they have made some mistakes?”

Melisende pondered over the statement for a while. Andy spoke up again. “It takes a unanimous vote to disband the Council, right?” She nodded. “If… if I let you win, can you promise me something?”

Melisende narrowed her eyes. “Promise me you’ll give the monsters a fair chance. Promise me you’ll take the time to really  _ look _ at them. And if you find that what I say is true, you’ll convince your friends to end the Council once and for all.”

They had reached the end of the trial. Melisende took a deep breath, having watched how Toriel had followed closely behind Andy, lending a steadying hand the entire time. She could see… kindness in her eyes. “Very well. I promise.”

Andy let go of the heart, and Melisende set it in its proper place. The trial ended.

The monsters all began to pale when they realized Andy had lost. Undyne motioned for Alphys to get behind her as she took a battle stance. Regina stepped forward.

“Then it’s time we resolved this conflict. I motion for immediate retaliation against the monsters,” she said.

“I second that motion,” Justinian said. The children all shook their heads and refused, and everyone turned to Melisende. She made eye contact with Andy.

“No,” she said, and both Regina and Justinian did a double-take. “With only two votes, our response against the monsters is delayed,” Andy smiled at her, and she smiled back. “I would like to petition the Council to allow myself and Kazimir,” she said, pointing to Frisk, “to take an astral walk through the Underground and gather more information before making a decision.”

“I second,” Frisk said, and the other children agreed.

Regina looked at her. “Mel, what are you doing?”

Melisende put on a neutral expression. “My duty as a member of this Council,” she said flatly. “Everyone remain here, please. I need to retrieve my spellbook for the astral walk.”

Everyone gathered around Andy while Regina and Justinian followed Melisende upstairs, trying to figure out what had happened.

“What went on in there?” Frisk asked Andy.

“We made a deal,” Andy said. “I let her win on the condition that she would seriously consider the situation and take some time to get to know the monsters. If she finds them worthy, she gave me her word that she’d get the Council permanently disbanded. You won’t have to worry about them or the barrier ever again.”

Frisk wasn’t sure if they were furious with Andy or impressed by his faith that the monsters would be able to win the councilwoman over. They decided to go with the latter.

“Alright,” they said. “I’ll convince her. This is it, everyone. It’s time to put this old war to rest, once and for all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was struck with both a maelstrom of ideas and an excess of free time this weekend, so I'll be posting several consecutive chapters. Hopefully y'all won't complain too much, right?


	8. The Meaning of Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and Melisende take a walk through the Underground.

“So, um… how does this work?” Frisk asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor with Melisende.

“I’m going to create astral projections of both of us. We will be able to leave the room and view anything we wish without interacting with it. That way, you cannot load and we will not affect the monsters’ behavior. I want to observe them without influencing them at all.”

“Okay,” Frisk said, taking a deep breath and adjusting themselves so that they were more comfortable. “You won’t be disappointed, I promise.”

“Now, close your eyes and steady your breathing,” Melisende said. “I’ll take care of the rest.” Frisk nodded and did as she asked.

“Okay. We’re ready,” Melisende said after a moment. Her voice sounded thin and distorted. Frisk opened their eyes to find the world muted and wavering around them, as if they were underwater. “I’ll follow you through the Underground. I want a full tour, nothing left out. Understand?” Frisk nodded again and led her into Asgore’s castle. They turned to head towards the Core, but Melisende stopped them. “What’s that way?” She asked, pointing to the basement.

Frisk paused for a moment before leading her down. They wanted to be completely transparent - they weren’t here to show that the monsters were some kind of saints, they were here to show that they were people just like everyone else. They showed Melisende the coffins.

“These are the names of the children up there,” she noted. She pushed one of the lids open slightly to reveal that there was a body inside. She closed it again immediately.

“I rescued them from previous timelines,” Frisk admitted. “In this timeline, their souls were used to break the barrier.”

“I see,” Melisende said, as if confirming her suspicions. “What about this one - ‘Chara.’ I don’t remember meeting a Chara.”

“Chara was the king and queen’s adopted child,” Frisk said. “And the first human to fall into the Underground.”

“Adopted child?” Melisende asked. She didn’t sound convinced. “I don’t suppose you have any proof of this?”

“I do,” Frisk said, leading them into Asgore’s house. They led her to Chara and Asriel’s room, with the dusty photograph of their smiling family. Melisende studied it carefully, unable to pick it up in her astral form. They looked… happy.

“Chara wanted to free the monsters, just like I did,” Frisk said, leading her into Asgore’s room. Melisende didn’t find weapons like she was expecting - there was macaroni art and nose-nuzzling trophies and sweaters with ‘Mr. Dad Guy’ written on them. “They poisoned themself so their brother Asriel could take their soul and collect six more souls from the surface. But when it came down to it, Asriel chose not to fight the humans. But they still attacked him - and he died right in front of his parents in the throne room.” Melisende felt her heart break a little. She believed Frisk about the story. “It was only then that Asgore decided to start collecting souls, out of grief and the hope his people would be free someday.”

Frisk took her to the Core next and explained its function before stopping by MTT resort. They walked over to the reserved-dining area, where a muscular red-skinned monster and a tiny mouse were having a conversation.

“I just don’t see why we have to make  _ everything _ a puzzle,” the red monster groaned. “There hasn’t been a human down here for years. I’m sure the puzzles we have already will be enough to stop them. We don’t need  _ more _ .”

The mouse sighed dramatically. “You just don’t understand how  _ dangerous _ they are,” he said. “You know, I heard that there’s these certain humans with fangs - they’re called van-pires, I think - that will bite you and suck all your blood out! I mean, can you imagine? That’s scary! We have puzzles for a reason, so we might as well enjoy them.”

“Pfft, like that’s actually true. R… right?”

Melisende looked confused. Frisk gave her a little smile. “Looks like the monsters have heard some crazy things about us, huh? Have you ever wondered if all our stories about them might have been a little exaggerated?”

Melisende kept her thoughts to herself as they continued through Hotland and into Waterfall. They listened to the echo flowers.

“Someday, I’d like to climb this mountain we’re all buried under. Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around… that’s my wish. ...Hey, you said you wouldn’t laugh at it!”

“Sorry, it’s just funny… that’s my wish, too.”

Frisk led her into Snowdin, where she listened in on the conversations of the townsfolk.

“Do you think we’ll ever get out of here? You should have seen the capital the last time I visited my sister. They’re packed in there like sardines.”

“Well…” it was a little mouse monster in a scarf who spoke. “It’s… hard to say? We just have to keep smiling, though. And telling jokes. Except for me, because… well, you know I’m not very funny.”

Frisk brought her into the Ruins, through Toriel’s house, and all the way back to the flower bed where they had first fallen. Melisende looked around; she could almost smell the reverent air in the room. There was definitely something special about this place. She looked to Frisk for an explanation.

“A lot of things happened here,” Frisk said, sensing her question. “This is the place I first fell into the Underground. This is the place I woke back up in every time something went wrong.” They looked around the room sadly. “This… is the place where I left a friend who couldn’t be saved. This is the place where Toriel - my mother - ran to when I told her I couldn’t stay, and she couldn’t protect me.” They looked down at the flowers. “This is where she buried her second child,” they said softly, and a tear fell from Melisende’s eye. “It’s my blessing, and my curse. But if I’d never fallen into this flower bed… I’d never have met my family. I’d never have met the people I love so,  _ so _ much.”

Frisk walked over to her and looked her straight in the eyes. “Please. They mean  _ everything _ to me. They’ve been through so much pain and heartache to get here. They deserve their happy ending, and his is my last chance to give it to them.” Melisende clenched her jaw.

They both woke up back in the Council’s chambers. Everyone had split off into groups to wait for them to return, but now they all gathered around. Melisende looked at all of them and cleared her throat.

“I’d like to make a motion,” she said, “to immediately and permanently disband the Council of Seven.”

“I second,” Frisk smiled at her, and the other children quickly followed. Melisende looked to the other two council members.

“Mel, what are you doing?” Regina asked. “Please tell me you aren’t serious.”

Melisende gave her a soft smile. “I am, Regina. Please - you’re my oldest friend.” She walked over and took Regina’s hand. “Trust me on this. The only ones in danger here are the monsters.”

“So you’re asking me to abandon a duty we’ve held sacred for thousands of years, just on a whim?” Regina asked.

“The Council of Seven was founded on fear and hatred,” Melisende said. “And last I checked, none of us were meant to represent those values. Our forebears made a mistake in starting that war, Regina. But we finally have the chance to correct their mistake and right an ancient wrong. It’s time we put this old grudge to rest where it belongs.”

Regina stared deep into her eyes, trying to get a read on her friend. She sighed. “Alright, Mel. You win.” Both women looked to Justinian. “Well, Justin?”

“You’re both in agreement?” He asked. They both nodded. “And you are  _ completely _ certain, Mel?” She nodded again. Justinian ran his fingers through his hair. “Very well. I trust your judgement.”

Melisende smiled. “Then I hereby pronounce this council and all its responsibilities permanently disbanded.” Everyone felt some kind of magic in the air shift as the ancient pact that had created the Council was dissolved. “I believe we can all head back to our families, now,” she said. “Our work is finished.” She walked up to Asgore and extended a hand. “You and your people are free to do as you please. I wish you the best of luck.” Asgore took her hand and pulled her into a hug. “Oh! Oh my,” she said, gingerly returning it.

“Thank you for your kindness,” Asgore said, releasing her.

“The pleasure is mine,” she smiled. “Perhaps we shall meet again one day.”

The last of the wizards left, and everyone cheered. Frisk felt almost weak with relief - they had finally done it. They had won.


	9. Farewell, Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monsters meet some old new friends and begin their new lives on the surface.

“I… guess this is goodbye,” Andy said, standing in front of the grey doorway. “It’s time for us all to go home.”

The monsters and Frisk all smiled at them, wishing them well. One by one, the humans disappeared into the portal. Something in the air seemed to shift, and then they were gone.

“BROTHER,” Papyrus asked. “DO YOU THINK WE’LL EVER SEE THEM AGAIN? I MISS OLIVIA ALREADY.”

“i bet we will, bro,” Sans said, patting Papyrus on the back. Frisk saw through the act he was putting on - something was definitely wrong, and they had a feeling they were the cause. They’d have to have a heart-to-heart with him later, but for now it was time for the monsters to go free.

Frisk wasn’t all that surprised when they left the Underground once more to find a group of humans standing there. There was a black woman in a wheelchair and a flowy, river-patterned dress, wrinkles creasing her smile and an ancient-looking set of ballet gear in her lap. To her left were two men with narrow, monolidded eyes and tawny skin; one was incredibly muscular and had an old, faded bandana wrapped around one wrist and a pair of pink gloves hanging from his pocket. He wore a smirk, but the other man looked bewildered - he was in a suit, blankly staring at the entourage of monsters.

To the woman’s left was another woman, tall and blond, cradling a baby in one arm and holding the hand of a young boy with the other. There was a faded red ribbon in her hair, and a plastic knife had been tied to the boy’s belt. And by her side was a third woman in a sheriff’s uniform with a straw-blond braid covered by a cowboy hat. The antiquated revolver on her hip swung back and forth as she stepped forward.

“Well, lookee what we got here? A bunch of monsters climbin’ out of a mountain. Who’da thunk it?”

“OLIVIA?” Papyrus asked, walking up to the woman in the wheelchair. She smiled and opened her arms.

“C’mere, sweetie. I’ve missed you so much.”

“OH, I JUST KNEW I’D SEE YOU AGAIN!” Papyrus said, kneeling down to hug her. “YOU LOOK DIFFERENT THAN YOU DID A FEW MINUTES AGO, THOUGH. OF COURSE, YOU ARE STILL VERY PRETTY!”

“Oh, you old charmer,” Olivia chuckled. “It might’ve been a few minutes for you, but I’ve waited almost seventy years to see that bright smile of yours again.”

“WOWIE… YOU REALLY WAITED ALL THAT TIME… JUST TO SEE ME?”

Olivia patted him on the cheek. “No one more worthy to wait for.”

“Wow, you really beefed up!” Undyne said, punching James in the shoulder. He didn’t budge.

“What can I say? You inspired me.” James said, slinging an arm around the other man’s shoulder. “This is Mike, my brother.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard a lot about you. Name’s Undyne!” She stuck out her hand.

Mike shook it absently before turning to his brother. “So you’re telling me… all those crazy stories you made up as a kid… are real?”

James rolled his eyes. “No, you’re in an insane asylum and you’re hallucinating.” James whacked him on the back of the head. “Of course they’re real, doofus! She’s standing right there,” he chuckled.

“wow,” Sans said to Courtney, looking her up and down. “what’s it say on your badge there? ‘sheriff of ebott town,’ huh?” He gave her a smile. “looks like you cleaned up your act pretty good, huh?”

Courtney shrugged, smiling back. “I had some community service I had’ta get done.”

Tears leaked from Toriel’s eyes as she looked at Charlotte. “They are both beautiful,” she said.

“Yes they are,” she smiled. “Tyler, why don’t you go meet your godmother? Or should I say your… _goat_ mother?” Charlotte chuckled out loud and Sans gave her a pair of finger-guns from where he stood, but Toriel was too shocked to laugh. The little boy walked up to her and looked up shyly.

“You’re the lady from the picture books Mommy wrote,” Tyler said shyly. “Does you really give the best hugs?”

“ _Do_ you,” his mother corrected.

Toriel knelt down with a tear-filled smile. “I suppose there is only one way to find out, is there not?” Tyler walked forward into her outstretched arms, and Toriel held him close like he was the most precious thing in the world. Tyler hugged her back and snuggled into her fur.

“Mommy was right,” he said, giggling a little. “You do smell like cimmanon.”

Toriel chuckled, the waterworks in full effect at this point. “It is ‘cinnamon,’ my child.”

Charlotte walked towards Asgore, who was staring at Toriel and Tyler with his own tears staining his fur. She smiled up at him and held out the baby in her arms. “And Asgore, this is your goddaughter: Lacey.” Asgore took her gingerly - she almost fit into the palms of his enormous hands. Lacey giggled and reached up to tug at Asgore’s beard with her tiny fingers.

“She’s perfect,” Asgore said as he cradled her, unsuccessfully sniffing back tears.

Alphys looked around the group. “U-Um… where are Landon and Andy?”

Olivia sighed and patted Papyrus’ knee so that she could wheel herself forward. “I’m afraid those two were the oldest out of all of us. They both passed away years ago.” Everyone looked down sadly. “Oh, don’t you all go fretting now. They laid the groundwork that’s gonna let us get all of you into surface life nice and safely.”

“What do you mean?” Toriel asked her.

“Well, Andy ended up becoming a big-name civil rights activist and Landon won a Nobel Prize for his theories on exobiology and possible non-human intelligent life. They worked together to create a handbook for how humanity should deal with extraterrestrials, in case we ever got alien visitors, or something.”

Charlotte spoke next. “Then Olivia here became a big broadway star,” she said. “She’s going to use her fame to help pull public opinion in your favor. I currently have a seat on the city council and I run the Ebott school district, so I’ll make sure we get all the necessary anti-discrimination laws passed to protect you while you’re in Ebott,” she said. “I’d also like to offer Toriel a teaching position.”

Toriel smiled, Tyler sitting happily in her lap. “Truly?”

Charlotte smiled. “Yes. And I guarantee all monster children will be welcome and safe in my district.”

“As for me, I opened up a gym in town,” James said, crossing his arms proudly. “I might not be much help in the grand scheme of things, but Mike here can handle all the legal bullcrap. Right, man?”

Mike blinked. “Uh, yeah. Legal stuff… uh. I do… legal stuff.”

“Which just leaves me,” Courtney said. “I’m the sheriff around these parts, as you can tell. As soon as Charlotte and Mike get the law in place, me and my crew’ll make sure it’s enforced. I don’t know how long it’ll take for the rest of the world to come around, but as long as you’re in my city, I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

Asgore looked across all of them, still cradling Lacey in his arms. “From the bottom of our hearts, and on the behalf of all monsterkind - thank you.”

“Just doin’ our jobs, your Majesty,” Courtney said, tipping her hat. “Speakin’ of which, I was wanting you on my police force, Undyne. There’s some tests and paperwork and whatchamacallit you gotta do first, but I’d be glad to have ya as my new deputy. Whaddaya say?”

“Hell yeah!” Undyne said. “Count me in.”

Toriel stood up and sent Tyler back to his mother. “Well, everyone, it appears that there is a lot of work to be done. Shall we begin?”

* * *

 

“Alrighty, everyone,” Courtney said, addressing her police force. “There’s been a new city law enacted overnight that I’m here to brief y’all on. You know them monsters that appeared on the news yesterday? Well, they’ve got full legal protection under Ebott law now. So while you’re free to stop them if they do somethin’ wrong - using _non-lethal_ force whenever possible, just like always - if someone’s doing something wrong to them, it’s our duty to step in. Anyone I catch neglecting or abusing our authority will be court-martialed quicker’n you can say ‘oops.’ Now I want everyone that’s gotta problem with that to raise their hands.”

A few people did actually raise their hands. “Good. Thank ya for being honest with me. Now give me your badges and get your asses out of my department. And you might wanna consider high-tailing it outta my city while you’re at it, if ya know what’s good for ya.”

After sending the disgruntled officers out, Courtney called everyone to order again. “Now, since my old deputy retired, I’ve been looking for a replacement. I want y’all to meet Officer Undyne.” The fish monster appeared in the doorway, grinning widely as everyone in the room just stared at her. “Now that’s hardly an Ebott welcome,” Courtney scolded them. “Now come on and show our girl some love!” Everyone applauded.

* * *

 

Asgore and Toriel stood in front of the school, waiting patiently. Asgore turned to her, holding something in his hands. It was his crown.

“Toriel,” he said. “I… think it’s time I gave this up to you.” He offered her the crown, looking down in shame. “The monsters deserve a real ruler to lead them into this new life, not… some miserable creature like me.”

Toriel took a deep breath and closed Asgore’s fingers around the crown. The king looked up, surprised.

“You are not a miserable creature,” Toriel sighed. She looked away. “Our relationship can never be mended, Asgore. What you have done… scars me too deeply.” Asgore closed his eyes as if he’d been struck. “However - it is very selfish of me to withhold my forgiveness. I am not ready to extend it yet, but until that day I will at least be civil with you. And someday, perhaps - we can go about building a new relationship. As friends.”

Asgore nodded excitedly. “O-Of course! I… I would love that, Tori. T-Toriel.”

“You may just call me Tori,” Toriel sighed. “My full name sounds awkward, coming from you. And regardless of my personal grievances, that crown belongs upon your head. You may have made mistakes - but you truly have put your people’s needs above your own. That is the mark of a true ruler.” Toriel looked straight ahead, staring off into nothing. She took another deep breath. “I abandoned my people in one of their darkest hours. Had I stayed and fought for what I believed to be right, things might have turned out very differently. I am no longer fit to wear the crown, as you are. Let us leave it at that.”

The doors swung open, and Toriel entered the school.

“Thank you all for coming today,” Charlotte said from the podium. “As many of you know, monsters have rejoined us on the surface very recently. Starting this week, monster children will be joining your classes. I wish to remind you that our district has a zero-tolerance policy on bullying - I expect each and every one of you to treat your new classmates with respect and welcome them. In that spirit, I would like all of you to welcome the newest member of our faculty, Miss Toriel. She will be teaching classes on monster history and monster culture, and will also be in charge of a program for teaching anyone that develops magical abilities. If anyone discovers they have such a talent after coming in contact with the monsters, I want you to report directly to her. Oh, and she would also like me to inform everyone that she will also be hosting an after-school cooking class. Everyone is welcome.”

The auditorium resounded with applause as Toriel entered the room, smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

 

“OOOO, I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE BEFORE I GO TO TORIEL’S COOKING CLASS,” Papyrus said, putting another disk into the machine and bouncing back over to the couch excitedly. “ALL OF YOUR PERFORMANCES ARE SO EXCITING AND BEAUTIFUL! WHY, YOU’VE BECOME JUST AS GREAT AS METTATON!”

Olivia smiled at him. “Well, that’s high praise coming from you, sweetie.” She proceeded to kiss him on the cheek, and he blushed heavily.

“JUST YOU WAIT, OLIVIA. SOON, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL BE AS FAMOUS AS YOU ARE ALL ACROSS THE HUMAN WORLD - BUT FOR COOKING! NYEH HEH HEH!”

“I don’t doubt it, honey,” Olivia smiled, leaning back in her chair.

* * *

 

“Ohmygodohmygod there’s more anime on the human internet than I ever imagined!” Alphys laughed excitedly. She had no idea where to begin - she started looking for something with fighting princesses for when Undyne got back. She paused on one screen.

There was… an anime _convention_ coming to Ebott in two weeks? And _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie_ was going to have a booth? Alphys’ mind blanked out for a few moments before she started squealing at the top of her lungs. Undyne better get here soon, otherwise Alphys was going to die on the spot and go straight to heaven.


	10. The Adventure of a Lifetime (An Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk gives Sans one last gift.

Sans sat on the floor in the judgement hall, staring up at the ceiling. He hadn’t gone out to see the sunset or the sunrise yet. Something told him he’d find it familiar. He didn’t even go out to see the stars. As much as he wanted to ignore it, what Chara had said to him had eaten through all his mental defenses. With everyone off starting their new lives, Sans had way too much time to himself.

The reality hit him like a freight train. No matter what he did, he’d never be free of the resets. It was only a matter of time before Frisk got bored - who could blame them? After all the pain and excitement and adventure they’d been through, how could anyone settle down and have a normal life? That’s all Sans wanted because his ‘adventures’ had been a living hell. And while he knew Frisk had been through far more that he’d ever be able to comprehend, he knew they wouldn’t be able to let him be at peace. That adventure of a lifetime - they’d never let it go. One day he’d wake back up in Snowdin and every memory, good and bad, would be nothing but some vague dream slipping through his fingers like smoke. He couldn’t even find the energy to move from the floor.

“Sans?” It was Frisk, the skeleton noted absently. The inadvertent source of all his problems. It wasn’t their fault - they were the way they were. It didn’t make him feel any better.

“sup, kiddo?” He asked dryly. Stars, he didn’t even have the energy to fake a smile. “didn’t asgore ask you to be the ambassador or somethin’? don’t worry about me, you got stuff to do.”

“I declined,” Frisk said quietly, taking a seat next to him. “I have some unfinished business I need to attend to.”

“i see,” Sans said. He couldn’t find the energy to care about what it was.

“Have you… seen the stars yet?” Frisk asked him.

“nah. i... have the rest of my life to see ‘em, right? they’re not going anywhere.” Sans sighed and let the back of his skull thump against the pillar behind him. “oh, who am i kidding? i don’t wanna go see ‘em just to forget them later. it’s too painful.”

Frisk looked like they were about to cry. “You… you know I won’t do that to you. We _finally_ have our happy ending, I’m not… I’ll never send you back down there again.”

Sans tilted his head to look at them sadly. “that’s a nice thought, buddy. and i know you probably even mean it, now. but... what you can do? that kinda power’s just too tempting not to use. someday, eventually, you’re gonna get bored of this simple life. you’re gonna want another adventure. and that’s not your fault, it’s… just the way it is.”

Frisk wanted to wrap him up in a hug and drill it into his skull that they would never, _ever_ hurt him like that for their own amusement, but they knew it wouldn’t really help. And when they really thought about it - what if Sans was right? After everything they’d gone through, could Frisk really just settle down and have a normal life? They’d had Alphys do some tests on them, and from what Frisk could tell, it had been almost five years for them since the first time they’d fallen into the Underground. They were, in many more ways than one, an adult now; physically, and most certainly internally. They’d missed all of high school. They’d never made human friends. They never learned how they were supposed to fit into normal society. All they really had… was their family, and their determination.

And as it turned out, their determination was a permanent obstacle to the happiness of that family. They stood up and turned to go back into the Underground, an idea striking them. “I’ll… see you later, Sans,” they said. Sans didn’t even wave as they left.

* * *

 

“It’s time I showed you something,” Frisk said to Sans. It had been a week, and Sans was back to his spot on the Judgement Hall floor. Sans didn’t even look up at them.

“kid, i’m… just not in the mood right now, k?” Sans said.

“You were right,” Frisk said. “That temptation is just too great. I can’t give up this adventure, Sans.”

Sans chuckled darkly. It had only taken a week for Frisk to decide to tear all their happiness away? If anything, Sans was relieved. In a few moments, he’d be back in his bed in Snowdin and all of these feelings would be gone again. Until they’d inevitably resurface like always - he wondered what kind of run Frisk was going to try this time.

“I need to show you something. Please,” Frisk said.

“why? i won’t remember,” Sans said. “there’s no point.”

“There is. Just… trust me this one last time, okay?” Frisk asked. Sans sighed and got to his feet. “Can you take us to Waterfall? To the room with the bench?”

One shortcut later, they were in Waterfall. Sans blinked when he saw the machine sitting under the bench - square and metal, about double the size of a toaster and glowing red.

“what... is that thing?” he asked.

Frisk walked over and picked it up with some effort. “It’s three-quarters of my determination,” they said. “Gaster helped me build it. I… don’t really understand the science, to be honest, but it’ll keep anyone from interacting with this timeline ever again. There will never be a load or reset here as long as this is active. I want you to have it.”

They set the machine down by Sans’ feet. He stared at them. “this can’t…” tears started to pool in Sans’ eye-sockets, “you… gave up your determination for me?”

Frisk grabbed his hand. “You deserve to be happy, Sans. I care about you so much more than you know. This power - no one should be able to use it. So I made sure no one will, ever again.”

Tears began to fall. “i… i don’t…” Sans leaned forward and wrapped Frisk in a hug, burying his face in their sweater. “ _thank you_ ,” Sans sobbed. “frisk, just… i… _thank you_ .” And just like that, the ghost that had been clinging to him for so, _so_ long just melted away. He was free - _actually_ free. Frisk had set him free.

“i’m sorry i ever doubted you, buddy,” Sans sniffed, hugging them tighter. “listen, i… you’ve been nothing but good to me for as long as i can remember. this time, this you - this is the only one i care about. i won’t hold the past over your head ever again, alright? i promise.” He let them go, setting his hands on their shoulders. Yup, they were definitely taller than him now. “and i know we aren’t gonna be able to give you the same adventures you had back then anymore, but i swear we’re all gonna try our damnedest to make you happy.”

Frisk smiled at him. “That’s not something you have to try for,” they said. “Just seeing a real smile on you is all I need to know I did the right thing. So, next time I see you, you’d better be firing puns at me ‘til i beg you to stop.”

Sans’ smile fell a little. “wait. why does that sound like a goodbye?”

Frisk looked at the ground. “I’m leaving,” they said simply. “You were right, about me not being able to settle down after all that adventure. This… surface life. I just can’t live it, Sans, after everything I’ve been through.”

His coat of apathy gone, concern began to bubble up through Sans’ ribcage. “then... where are you going, pal?” A few short moments ago, Sans had been wishing that Frisk didn’t exist so that he could just live his life. Now, he was desperate for them to stay. They were his best friend, the kid who walked through hell for him. The kid _he’d_ walk through hell for, because after all the torment Flowey had put him through they just appeared out of the sky like an angel. They’d come, rescued him from that endless cycle of torture, _died_ for him and the people he loved countless times, and then essentially gave up godhood to set him free from the shadow Sans had no doubt would have followed him until the end of time. The thought of them leaving him behind now made him realize just how _much_ he cared about them, feelings once drowned in his own apathy now on full display.

“The other timelines,” Frisk said. “The ones Flowey and I created with our resets. The battle with Chara did something to all of them - they all changed, according to Gaster. They’re all unique worlds now, and they’re all still trapped in their Undergrounds.” They took a deep breath and puffed out their chest. “That’s why I kept a quarter of my determination. I’ll still be able to save and load in those timelines with it, but not reset. It’s my responsibility to set them all free and bring them here.”

Sans could feel nothing but amazement with this kid. They never stopped, did they? “kid... you’ve done your part. you’ve earned your happy ending. you don’t owe anyone anything,” he said, grabbing their hand.

“I created most of those worlds, Sans,” Frisk said. “I do owe them. I have this power, and it’s my responsibility to use it for the good of everyone - you taught me that.They deserve their happiness too. There’s so many adventures out there waiting for me - and now, I don’t have to hurt anyone to have them. Never again.”

Sans chuckled, wiping at his eye-sockets. “i’ll never know how i of all people managed to make you responsible.” He sighed. “you’re all grown up, buddy. never met a finer person in my life. well, except for papyrus,” he added with a wink.

“Well, I’m not sure anyone can live up to that standard,” Frisk laughed. “Alphys upgraded my phone to work across dimensions, so I’ll check in all the time. And I’ll come back and stay here for a while between adventures, too. I’ve already said goodbye to everyone else, so… this is it.”

Sans nodded. “alright, buddy. you go and do what you do best. just... don’t forget us out there, okay? we’re your family. you ever need some rest, a chat, a pick-me-up - all of us are here. got that?”

Frisk reached forward and hugged him again. “It’s not possible to forget all of you.” They sighed and picked up the backpack they had apparently left by the bench earlier. “Well, I guess that’s it, then. I’m off. Keep it safe,” Frisk said, gesturing to the machine.

Sans hefted it up. “trust me, i’ll make sure this thing is safer than anything else on the planet,” he said. “good luck, buddy. we all love you.”

Frisk smiled back at him as they walked away. “I know.” It seemed like that short, two-word statement had a deeper meaning somehow.

Sans watched them disappear before taking a shortcut back to the surface - the stars would be coming out soon. He needed to find Papyrus; Sans planned to memorize each and every tiny point of light up there, starting tonight. And what better way to start life on the surface than with some memories with his brother?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. This has been a ride.
> 
> As the first large writing project I've actually completed, I've gotta say I'm glad that I stuck through with this to the end. There were sections that I felt could have been much better, but there are also parts that I'm very proud of. Overall, this has been a very good learning experience for me.
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone that's read this series all the way through - it means so much to me. I hope you all have a wonderful day.
> 
> There WILL be a sequel series to this, the first part of which is called The Things We Believe In - but i'll be taking things in a different direction from here on out, so be advised. If you're interested, I'd love for you to check it out, but if you see the tags and decide its not your thing, I completely understand. Once again, thanks for reading, and good night.
> 
> \-- <3 PhantomDreamshade


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